1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a technology of visually representing a music system composed of performance parts.
The present invention also relates to a technology of setting sample music data for auditioning timbres of the performance parts in a sequencer or an electronic musical instrument.
2. Description of Related Art
With a dedicated sequencer machine or a personal-computer-based desktop music (DTM) machine, a sound having a timbre assigned to each performance part is reproduced for performance by means of step-recording based on note specification by use of a pointing device such as a mouse, or real-time recording based on live performance by use of a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) keyboard, or by reading a music data file. In doing so, it would be helpful to display symbols representing timbres of performance parts onto a display screen, thereby making the dedicated sequencer or the DTM familiar to novice users. However, simple displaying of these symbols makes the display screen monotonous, and provides no association with an impression of performance. Also known is a device that teaches tempo by means of sounds or visual information. However, this device indicates the tempo only during music reproduction.
In DTM, it is essential for music creation to select a timbre for each performance part of a music system such as orchestra and band. It is a general practice to test-listen to a timbre for timbre selection by operating a real keyboard connected to a personal computer or by a software keyboard displayed on a monitor screen. However, some of the recently developed tone generators or sequencers provide an auditioning capability that allows users to audibly test a sound of specified timbre at a predetermined interval or in distributed chord by operating a button switch on a tone generator or by clicking a mouse on a monitor screen. This test-listening capability is gene rally referred to as an audition capability.
A problem of such a device is that, once sounded in a constant pitch or a constant sequence, any timbre is heard hardly distinctively from others. Especially, the appropriate selection of timbres Is difficult for novice users, so that they cannot create music as desired. Music data for use in audition must be suitable for a user operating environment. For example, in terms of music genre, If a user makes audition by pops-type music while attempting to create classical-type music, the user is given a wrong image of timbre. In terms of music style, if a user makes audition with a slow melody while attempting to create a quick tune, the user is also given a wrong image. Further, in music pieces of the same genre, a different impression is given when a certain timbre is used in melody and in backing (or accompaniment). Thus, conventionally, the music data for use in audition has not been studied much.